The Gray Area with Sean Illing

Why we're still postmodern (whatever that means)

Listen Later

Sean Illing talks with Stuart Jeffries, journalist and author of Everything, All the Time, Everywhere, about why postmodernism is so hard to define, and why — as Jeffries argues — it's still a very active presence in our culture and politics today. They discuss whether our desire should be understood as subversive or as a tool of capitalism, how postmodernism is inextricably linked with neoliberalism, and how to navigate our current culture of ubiquitous consumption and entertainment. What should we watch on TV: Boris Johnson's resignation speech, or the reality show Love Is Blind?

Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), Interviews Writer, Vox

Guest: Stuart Jeffries, author; feature writer, The Guardian

References: 

  • Everything, All the Time, Everywhere: How We Became Postmodern by Stuart Jeffries (Verso; 2021)
  • "The post-truth prophets" by Sean Illing (Vox; Nov. 16, 2019)
  • The Postmodern Condition by Jean-François Lyotard (Univ. of Minnesota Press; 1979, tr. 1984)
  • Simulacra and Simulation by Jean Baudrillard (Univ. of Michigan Press; 1981, tr. 1983)
  • Postmodernism: Style and Subversion, 1970–1990 (exhibition catalog, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK; Sept. 24, 2011 – Jan. 15, 2012)
  • "Postmodernism: from the cutting edge to the museum" by Hari Kunzru (The Guardian; Sept. 15, 2011)
  • "You're sayin' a foot massage don't mean nothin', and I'm sayin' it does" by James Wood (Guardian Supplement; Nov. 19, 1994)


    Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Conversations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

    Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Conversations by subscribing in your favorite podcast app.

    Support Vox Conversations by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

    This episode was made by: 

    • Producer: Erikk Geannikis
    • Editor: Amy Drozdowska
    • Engineer: Patrick Boyd
    • Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall

      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

      ...more
      View all episodesView all episodes
      Download on the App Store
      The Gray Area with Sean IllingBy Vox
      • 4.5
      • 4.5
      • 4.5
      • 4.5
      • 4.5

      4.5

      10,590 ratings

      More shows like The Gray Area with Sean Illing

      View all
      The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

      The New Yorker Radio Hour

      6,790 Listeners

      The Political Scene | The New Yorker by The New Yorker

      The Political Scene | The New Yorker

      4,044 Listeners

      Explain It to Me by Vox

      Explain It to Me

      7,855 Listeners

      Switched on Pop by Vulture

      Switched on Pop

      2,683 Listeners

      Pivot by New York Magazine

      Pivot

      9,504 Listeners

      Gastropod by Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley

      Gastropod

      3,666 Listeners

      Decoder with Nilay Patel by The Verge

      Decoder with Nilay Patel

      3,145 Listeners

      The Daily by The New York Times

      The Daily

      112,032 Listeners

      Good One by Vulture

      Good One

      1,485 Listeners

      Radio Atlantic by The Atlantic

      Radio Atlantic

      2,276 Listeners

      The Atlantic Interview by The Atlantic

      The Atlantic Interview

      2,134 Listeners

      Today, Explained by Vox

      Today, Explained

      10,208 Listeners

      Interesting Times with Ross Douthat by New York Times Opinion

      Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

      7,227 Listeners

      Throughline by NPR

      Throughline

      16,335 Listeners

      Land of the Giants by Vulture

      Land of the Giants

      2,166 Listeners

      Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast

      5,985 Listeners

      Unlocking Us with Brené Brown by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Unlocking Us with Brené Brown

      23,583 Listeners

      A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe by Vox Media Podcast Network

      A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe

      729 Listeners

      Hard Fork by The New York Times

      Hard Fork

      5,506 Listeners

      Good Noticings by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Good Noticings

      6,475 Listeners

      The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

      The Ezra Klein Show

      15,832 Listeners

      Unexplainable by Vox

      Unexplainable

      2,319 Listeners

      Cover Story by New York Magazine

      Cover Story

      1,220 Listeners

      The Interview by The New York Times

      The Interview

      1,589 Listeners

      Not Just Football with Cam Heyward by Cam Heyward

      Not Just Football with Cam Heyward

      152 Listeners

      On with Kara Swisher by Vox Media

      On with Kara Swisher

      3,526 Listeners

      Networth and Chill with Your Rich BFF by Vivian Tu

      Networth and Chill with Your Rich BFF

      1,747 Listeners

      Prof G Markets by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Prof G Markets

      1,431 Listeners

      The Opinions by The New York Times Opinion

      The Opinions

      617 Listeners

      Bird's Eye View with Sue Bird by Sue Bird

      Bird's Eye View with Sue Bird

      440 Listeners

      Solutions with Henry Blodget by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Solutions with Henry Blodget

      31 Listeners